Virus Removal and Staying on the Right Side of the Law

ClamAV is free, open source and is literally the worst AV on the planet; that's why it doesn't show up on comparatives.

Yes, notepad would probably work better for detecting malware.....however, you can create custom definitions for it, so it has value for researchers, or if you have an enterprise network and you need to remove an item manually (although a script would probably be better).
 
If not free maybe there is a list of affordable software for sole operators?

That is not the question to ask. The question is what anti-malware will make the most money for a sole proprietor, or any IT service business for that matter?

Many companies have free versions of their software. And you get what you pay for. So look at apps that you can resell and make money. Especially if you can set them up as managed customers.

Relying on just a anti-malware package will not help the customer. In our business you need to look at the whole forest, not just a few trees.

1. Install good browsers. And IE is not one of them.
2. Browser plugins, like Ad Blocker Plus, NoScript, etc. You can white list sites.
3. 3rd party DNS such as Open DNS.
4. 3rd party addon's such as @FoolishTech's CryptoPrevent.
5. MSP service that keeps up with OS updates, etc.
6. Manage browser search engine options. Some of them, like Yahoo, have hits at the top of the list that install spyware and adware. Many users still click, and accept, the first thing they see.
7. Best practices. One is close network aware apps when not being used. Big ones are browsers and apps like Skype, P2P, etc.
8. Pay attention when installing "free" stuff. Many will install adware if you do not pay attention to the prompts.
 
Let's say 90% of techs have no concept of morality and just use the free scanner versions. Well guess what, Malwarebytes, Hitman Pro, etc. still make tons of money. The point of a free trial version is that it gets their name out there. It's a form of advertising. They may not admit to it, but they are well aware of techs and computer repair shops violating their ToS's, and they are OK with it, because it spreads the name. Just like microsoft didn't mind torrent being available of new versions of Windows because it gave them free beta testing. Seems like most posters here are thinking in a rigid, linear way. Very logical, but totally ignoring the realities of business.
 
Yet, another reality of business is that most camels don't pass through the eye of a needle. Not all consider the immoral profitable, even if it happens to carry more money.
 
The point of a free trial version is that it gets their name out there.

The point of a free trial is to let people "try" the software before they "buy" it.

They may not admit to it, but they are well aware of techs and computer repair shops violating their ToS's, and they are OK with it, because it spreads the name.

Yes, companies like MalwareBytes, HMP, etc will make money even though some techs may choose to use their software illegally. And yes, they are aware that people do that. That does not mean that they are okay with it, and that does not mean that illegal use of their software is rationalized.

Very logical, but totally ignoring the realities of business.

As a software vendor, I can tell you that our team has worked for years to develop software for technicians, because we care. That's not meant to be a complaint; we have a great time. My point is we're not money-grubbing Mr. Burns lookalikes sitting in meeting rooms scheming to take every last dollar in your bank account. We do it because we want to provide value to techs. However, we know that despite our good will a small handful of techs sign up for multiple free trials in succession to get the software for free, or only use one account for multiple technicians, etc. Even though these select instances are clearly not condoned by our licensing, it's more effort than it's worth to pursue people, because at the end of the day we're here to make software, not be police. Does that mean it's okay for people to take advantage of us? Not really. You could probably come up with an equivalent story of why it's beneficial for us right?

"More users means more awareness of their software, so they are totally fine with it."

But as I just stated, that's not the case. If it was, it would be a part of our marketing strategy, and it wouldn't be a violation of our ToS. Uber is a great example of a company that has built it's marketing strategy on that. MWB, HMP, and RepairTech do not benefit from techs pirating their software.

In my opinion, there is often a double-standard that is applied to software companies. People demand free trials, free versions, freemium models, etc but then abuse those same models and use them in illegal ways they weren't intended by the software vendor.

Companies exist to provide value to their customers. If one gets value out of the software that is provided to them, they should support the company that provided that value, so that the company can continue to do so. When the company in question is as large as Microsoft, it's very easy to overlook that sentiment, but that doesn't make it morally acceptable.

Of course, you can choose how you want to conduct your own business. At RepairTech, we aren't using any pirated software, we pay for everything we use, because we have seen what happens when companies that we depend on go out of business.

Ian
 
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I will confess this was speculation on my part. And of course, as you say it's often not feasible to police people's usage. But let's take Teamviewer for example. It goes the extra mile and alerts the customer of "Commercial use suspected".

Personally if I make money using software, I will of course share some of those earnings with the developers. I can see how my post might have been read as a justification for software piracy. I don't approve of it. I'm just bringing up the speculation that in some cases(Clearly not your company), a decision was made not to interfere with illegal usage, because although they cannot state on the record that they approve of it, in the end they still benefit greatly from it.

But indeed, soon this debate will be moot because of the move towards the SaaS model. Microsoft delivered a decisive blow to piracy of their Office products by introducing Office 365. And it was done intelligently because it presents a win-win to all parties.
 
The whole free/trialware is just, in marketing terms, loss leaders. The publishers know what that means as well as the risk it entails. Retailers have been doing this for ages. There are always going to be those hanging around looking for the free stuff and have no plans to spend a penny to make a purchase.

And some abruptly change their minds about using that marketing plan, like Logmein did. They dumped the free trial. Of course there was a huge uproar over this, lots of negative press. But that group of stake holders had no vested interest in the success of the company like it's shareholders, employees, and other financially connected stakeholders do. It's had no negative impact on it's sales and profitability.
 
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